From the Frog's Well
by EmD23
Summary: He may not be the most sensitive person around, but even a guy like Yosuke can lend an ear and shoulder from time to time. Seven instances in which Yosuke manages to comfort his friends without sticking his foot in his mouth. Kind of.


A/N: So this is another fill over at the kink meme that I started and haven't gotten around to finishing because I'm an awful person. Thankfully, I have most of it outlined and there should be a short story for every member of the IT and I have more free time right now (because aside from my unpaid internship I'm unemployed...) so I should have more time to work on this. I would also like to thank **Ari Moriarty **for her input and advice. Go check her stories out.

Prompt is: _I kind of want to see a 5 times fic type of thing of Yosuke being a bro to the members of the investigation team. Ya know, having a genuine moment of reassuring Chie that it's okay she's not terribly feminine, supporting Kanji's sewing habits, that kind of thing._

Track 1: Chariot (and Insecurity)

"Ugh, again? Can't they just leave her alone?"

Yosuke, who had been trying to tune out the class with his headphones, looked to the side to find the source of the complaint. It turned out to be Chie, who was angrily biting her finger and looking at Yukiko's desk. The Amagi heiress was politely but firmly turning down another love confession while her two friends waited for her by the door, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, that guy's a first year. Man, he's got guts, asking out his senpai like that. Poor guy probably doesn't know the horrors of the Amagi Challenge," Yosuke commented, grinning as the younger student's face became downcast and he shuffled away. Yukiko looked regretful for a second before a cocky second-year entered the classroom, wiping the expression from her face as he approached her with a sort of swagger in his step.

Chie twitched beside him but said nothing as the guy began talking, complementing Yukiko's hair. "If it bothers you so much, go say something," Yosuke suggested as he witnessed a multitude of emotions, anger being the most prominent, pass through her face as the second year continued to praise her best friend.

"She's asked me not to get involved," Chie ground out. "She said she wants to handle that herself. And besides, who are _you_ to make fun of these guys? You asked Yukiko out three times!"

Yosuke grimaced. "Yeah, not some of my finer moments."

The pair went back to silence as they observed Yukiko shake her head. The second year, clearly having not expected a rejection, stuttered and began gesturing with his hands. Yosuke could see that Yukiko was trying very hard not to roll her eyes and laugh, and he grinned. "Now we observe as our young subject, his initial bid rejected, enters into the second, more frantic dance of his mating ritual. The female, however, seems hardly impressed," he said, not even bothering to keep his voice down.

Chie, who had no qualms, did roll her eyes and laugh, causing the second year to glare at them, his face flushing. Yukiko, who had also heard him, was having trouble, her shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

"I don't get it," Chie muttered quietly. "Why do they keep coming? Yukiko doesn't even talk much in school! She's quiet and withdrawn, so how can these guys even like her? They don't even know her! Is it really just because she's pretty?"

Yosuke gave her a look. "Duh. Have you seen her? Yukiko's really, really h-pretty," he corrected hastily when she turned her eye on him.

"Boys are so shallow. If only more were like Yu-kun instead of idiots like you and Mr. Smooth over there," Chie said.

"I am _not_ like that idiot," Yosuke said at once, looking extremely offended. "Besides, why do you even care?"

"Because it's bothering Yukiko!" Chie exclaimed, but even as she huffed, Yosuke saw her expression shift for a moment. He frowned and was about to ask her what was wrong, until a memory came forth, a distorted voice filled with contempt.

"_Yukiko's soooo good-looking…soooo fair-skinned…so feminine…She's the one all the guys drool over."_

"Oh," Yosuke said out loud, then paled when Chie gave him a questioning look. Not for the first time, he wished that his partner had stayed in Inaba. Yu would definitely know what to say here. Yosuke thought about remaining silent, but he could see the frustration building up in Chie as the second year walked off only to be immediately replaced by someone in their class, who was trying to butter up Yukiko by scorning the advances of the two underclassmen.

'_Make me proud, partner,'_ he could hear Yu said. _'Cheer her up, it's your job as my second banana.'_ After mentally calling his best friend an ass, Yosuke opened his mouth, cautiously.

"Chie…are you jealous?"

"Am-am I-what? Of course not, you idiot!" Chie spluttered, flushing red and punching him in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"That's what you get for saying something stupid," Chie said, creating some distance between them.

"You didn't have to hit me!" Yosuke whined, rubbing the spot. "That's gonna bruise!"

"Don't be a baby! I didn't even hit you that hard!"

Yosuke sighed and leaned back, pressing himself against the wall. "Whatever you say, you carnivore."

Chie punched him again ("Ow!") and crossed her arms. Then, quietly, she said "I just don't see how the rest of us girls are supposed to compete if all they want is someone like Yukiko. At this rate, we'll leave high school without having gotten a single boyfriend."

'_Projecting much?'_ Yosuke thought, but instead he said "Well, yeah, you're certainly nothing like Yukiko. You've got all the femininity of a disposable garbage processor."

She whirled on him, eyes furious, but he held his hands up to placate her. "Look, Chie, I'm not going to lie. Yukiko is pretty, she's textbook feminine and she's polite and proper and all of that stuff. And you really aren't. You can beat up most of the guys in our school with a single kick and you can down Aiya's entire menu in one sitting. It's no surprise guys are flocking to Yukiko."

With every word he said, Chie's shoulders slumped and an air of mixed anger and shame wrapped around her. However, Yosuke wasn't done. "But you don't have to be like Yukiko, alright? You're pretty cute yourself in your own way, trust me. It's awesome that you're strong and that you're willing to get down and dirty with the rest of us. Guys like fitness chicks too, you know. You're just a bit overwhelming since you don't take crap lying down. You're not a pushover and guys expect girls to be pushovers. You're a cute and awesome gal, Chie. Yu and I can see that and soon, the others will too. You're fine just as you are." Then, all fake bravado, he scooted closer to her and smirked. "Besides, all that exercise does you good, trust me. Just show it off a little and I'm sure the guys-Oof!"

Yosuke leaned forward as Chie removed her elbow from his gut. "Did you really have to end it like that, you perv?" she asked in disgust. Yet even as she spoke, she closed the distance between them again until their shoulders were touching.

Together, they waited for Yukiko to shoot down their classmate. When she began to gather her things, the two of them straightened up and pushed off the wall.

"Hey, Yosuke?" Chie suddenly said, voice small as the two approached Yukiko's desk.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." She gave him a small smile and made a fist at her side.

Yosuke bumped her fist with his own. "No problem. We're bros."

She grinned and rushed up to Yukiko, Yosuke following at a slower pace.

"Sorry I took so long," Yukiko apologized when Yosuke reached her desk, standing up and hefting her bag over her shoulder. "I wasn't expecting them to be so stubborn."

"No problem, Yukiko-san," Yosuke assured her.

"Come on, Yukiko! We're going to Okina! This great restaurant opened up and Yosuke said he'd treat us!"

"Wait, what?"

"Really?" Yukiko said, looking impressed. "That's very kind of you, Yosuke-kun."

"But I didn't-"

"Let's go!" Chie interrupted, grabbing Yukiko's hand and tugging her out of the classroom.

"Chie, wait, you're going too fast," Yukiko said, but Chie did not slow down.

Yosuke chased after them, cursing. "Dude, Chie! You can't just decide things like that! Get back here! Chie!"

Chie only laughed and pulled Yukiko faster. Resigned, Yosuke sighed and followed.

* * *

**So, what'd you guys think? Compliments, complaints, constructive criticism, flames, I want it all. Please be kind and leave a review =]**

**Next up: Priestess (and Expectations)**


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